By BRENDAN MEYERS

It is officially November which means there is one month until the college football regular season comes to an end. The CFP Playoff Committee released their first rankings on Election Day and will release the official 12 team bracket on Sunday, December 8 at 11 a.m. 

The top four seeds are the four highest conference champions and will each receive a first-round bye. The fifth-highest conference champion will also receive an automatic bid and most likely be given the 12th and final slot. The rest of the slots will be given to the remaining highest ranked teams in the CFP rankings. This means the best conferences like the Big Ten and SEC will have multiple teams, but only one in each conference will earn a bye.

The Ohio State Buckeyes will get the top overall seed in the inaugural 12 team playoff. Many people would slide the Oregon Ducks in here, but I think the Buckeyes will get revenge in the Big Ten Championship Game and dethrone the Ducks. It’s tough enough to beat Ohio State once, and Oregon would have to do it twice in a span of two months. Ohio State’s defense has improved significantly since then, and that will make the difference.

The Georgia Bulldogs will win the SEC and get the number two overall seed. This team has way too much talent to not be in a good position to win it all. Quarterback Carson Beck has regressed a lot since last year and his poor play is the biggest thing holding the Bulldogs back. Kirby Smart is the best coach in college football and will have his guys ready to go.

At the number three spot, I have BYU Cougars. I think they will finish the regular season 12-0 and win the Big 12. The Cougars have beaten two top 25 teams already this season against SMU and Kansas State. They are a phenomenal team with great chemistry. I don’t know if they will win once they get to the playoff, but I definitely see them getting there.

SMU will win the ACC in their first season.  The Mustangs are playing their best football now when it matters. I have them defeating Miami in the ACC Championship Game in a shootout. SMU has a high-powered offense averaging over 40 points a game with a very balanced attack passing and running.

Coming in with the first at large spot, I have the Oregon Ducks. They would officially be the five seed in the bracket. They started off the season rough, barely beating Idaho and Boise State at home. Since then, it has been smooth sailing for the Ducks. Their massive win against Ohio State was one of the biggest in the regular season.

The Texas Longhorns will get the sixth seed in the playoffs this year. Star quarterback Quinn Ewers has led Texas to an 8-1 record so far with their only loss to Georgia. At their best, they can beat anyone in the country, but consistency has been an issue for the prestigious program.

Penn State will get the seventh seed and make their first College Football Playoff Appearance. The Nittany Lions have been consistent the last few years in beating every team besides Ohio State and Michigan. This year is no different with their 20-13 loss at home against Ohio State on November 2. 

Another surprise team that should make their first CFP appearance is the Indiana Hoosiers. I’ve got them slotted in at the eighth seed this year. This team was built almost completely through the transfer portal with first-year head coach Curt Cignetti. They should be in every game for the rest of the year and could make some noise in the playoffs.

Coming in at number nine is Alabama. The Crimson Tide have had a few huge wins against Georgia and on the road at LSU this season. Their two losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee definitely sting for Alabama fans, but the team’s recent success should make every team scared of facing star quarterback Jalen Milroe and the rest of the Crimson Tide.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish come in at number  10 on my list. An early season loss to Northern Illinois put the Irish behind the eight ball with their postseason chances, but they have rattled off seven straight wins and should finish the season 11-1. 

The Ole Miss Rebels will be the 11 seed in this year’s College Football Playoff. Their win against Georgia this last Saturday proved that they can play with the big dogs of the SEC. Their defense is arguably the best in the history of their program, leading all of the NCAA in sacks and holding opponents to just 12.9 points per game.

Rounding out the list at number 12 is Boise State. The Broncos are the best non-Power 4 team in college football this season. Heisman candidate Ashton Jeanty has been putting up video game numbers all season long rushing the football. The defense gets after the quarterback extremely well with 40 sacks in nine games this season.